The Living Years
by brandy01
Summary: After the drama of the previous year, Severus and Hermione are looking to settle down and raise their budding family, while simultaneously running a school. But can life ever be that simple for the Snapes? A sequel to "The Headmaster".
1. The Delivery

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

--

Chapter 1 - The Delivery

The crash that sounded in the other room alerted Ginny Potter to the whereabouts of her ceaselessly lively two-year-old, who had escaped from the kitchen only a few moments earlier. She had been so busy feeding little James, that she had looked away from the toddler for one second, and she had somehow clambered down from her highchair and made good her escape. Cradling her week-old little boy to her chest, she gingerly made her way down the hall and into the large function dining room.

'Lily Potter, you come to mummy right now or you shall be sent to your room and I shall confiscate your toys,' Ginny scolded as she walked through the door.

The little girl poked her head around the leg of a dining chair, her eyes seemingly innocent and doe-eyed, but her little grin belied that. Ginny beckoned her with a finger, pointing to where she wanted the girl to be standing in front of her. With a pout, Lily came out of hiding and walked over to stand in front of her mother before looking up at her with imploring eyes.

'Sowwy Mummy,' Lily said meekly, having learned to talk over the summer months.

'You're just lucky I keep the real china locked in the cupboards,' Ginny said, walking over to the broken plate on the floor. '_Reparo_.'

The scattered pieces of shattered plate all came back together in an instant, and returned itself to its position sitting on the cabinet. Shaking her head, she took Lily's hand with her free hand and led her back to the kitchen so that the girl could finish her food, and so that she could nurse James. While she was halfway through nursing however, the Floo in the other room came alive, and she heard her name being called out. Sighing, she had to detach James and hastily cover up, before going to answer the call.

The face of Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was in the fireplace.

'What's the problem, Severus? Is it time?' she asked, her eyes widening as she hurried closer to hear him better.

'Yes, yes, Hermione is in labor now and has been asking for you and Julia,' he said in haste. 'I need to contact her now also. Come through to my office as soon as you can and tell your husband as well.'

His face disappeared and Ginny was left standing alone in the sitting room with James in her arms. She burped him quickly and then went to retrieve Lily from the kitchen. Checking that all of them were reasonable, she donned her maroon robes over her clothes and went back to the Floo. She would Floo Harry at work before she went to Hogwarts to see to Hermione. She tossed in some Floo powder.

'Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic, London,' she said clearly, and sure enough his face appeared in the flames.

'Hello, my love, what is the problem?' he asked.

'Hermione's in labor and I need to get to her,' Ginny said quickly. 'I'll have to take the kids with me, and you just come to Hogwarts as soon as you can after work.'

'Forget work, I'll Apparate to Hogwarts as soon as I can,' he told her. 'The boss won't mind – I've only got paperwork all week as it is.'

Ginny nodded and closed that connection before opening the one to Severus' office at Hogwarts. She picked up Lily with her other arm, and held both children tight to her, before Flooing straight there, and walking out into the clean office. Guessing Severus was in the Hospital wing, she left the office and began making her way there. At the door to the wing, she put Lily down, and holding her hand, led the way inside to where a hoarse scream of pain could be heard from a private room. The door opened just as she reached a hand out to turn the knob, and a frantic-looking Severus stood before her.

'Thank Merlin you're here,' he said, leading her into the room with a gentle pressure on her back. 'Hermione needs female support, hand me that boy of yours and I will take the children to Megan in Poppy's office.'

Not needing to be told twice, Ginny gently handed James to Severus before hurrying over to Hermione's side. Severus picked up Lily with his free arm, and took the children to Poppy's office, conjuring a cot in there for James, before sending for Megan from her classes. About two minutes later, she was walking into the office, looking up at Snape curiously.

'Is Mum having the babies then?' she asked Severus as she sat do on the floor next to Lily.

Severus nodded. 'I need you to watch over the Potter children for me while I tend to your mother in the next room,' he answered in a rush. 'Call Ginny Potter if you are in need of anything.'

He left the office and the children in Megan's capable hands before rushing back to his wife's side. She had stopped screaming for the time-being, but was very sweaty, and her wet hair was sticking to her forehead, and her skin was very flushed. Even then she looked beautiful to him. He walked back over to her and positioned himself behind her once more, lovingly stroking the hair back from her face.

'How are you going, my love?' he asked softly, holding one of her hands tightly.

'I could be better,' she managed to puff out between breaths. 'It hurts, Sev…'

He kissed her temple. 'It will hurt, and although I can't promise you that I have ever felt such pain, I can promise you that I would take it away if I could,' he replied, warming her heart.

She was about to reply as another strong contraction hit, and instead, she emitted a moan of pain. Poppy gave her the signal to start pushing. Apparently baby number one wanted out. As the next contraction hit, she bore down hard, pushing as much as her energy would allow her to. After that, every contraction that followed she would push, and push until finally the sound of a baby's cries could be heard in the room. She smiled, nudged Severus to get out from behind her and tend to their first-born.

'Just one more to go, love,' he murmured in her ear as he slipped away. 'You're doing so wonderfully.'

Hermione nodded, and looked to the other side, where Ginny was holding her other hand and smiling. She then felt another contraction hit, and barely contained the scream that tore through her. Poppy returned to her in seconds, urging her to push through it once more. Hermione felt so tired, but she kept on baring down no matter what, intent to have her baby in her arms. She gave one final push, before another child slid from her and the cries began all over again.

'Wonderful job, Hermione – your little boy is a healthy one also,' Poppy congratulated, as she cleaned up Hermione with a wave of her wand, and took the younger twin off to clean up also.

'You were brilliant, Mione,' Ginny said, helping to charm new sheets onto the bed as Hermione lay there exhausted. 'Both of them looked healthy and beautiful.'

'And they are very beautiful,' Severus said as he reentered the room with two bundles wrapped in blue and pink cotton blankets.

Hermione sat up on the bed with Ginny's help, and accepted both bundles into her arms as Severus passed them to her, and resumed his position seated behind her. Both babies had their eyes closed, but she knew intuitively that they would have beautiful eyes. Her little girl, older by just a few minutes, had straight black hair that felt like down on her head, and a little button nose, just as any baby should have. Their boy, she could tell, would have his father's nose and hair also. They were beautiful.

'Have the two of you thought of baby names yet?' Ginny asked as she gently touched a cute baby nose.

'We decided on Sebastian Alexander and Luciana Iris Snape,' Severus answered, leaning down to place a kiss on the tip of his little girl's nose. 'She will be beautiful like her mother.'

'And he will be handsome like his father,' Hermione replied, indicating their baby boy.

'Ginevra, would you be a Godmother to our son?' Severus asked her as his wife handed the little boy over to the younger woman.

Ginny looked up in surprise at him and then down to Hermione who only smiled and nodded. 'I would be honored to be his Godmother,' she answered, cradling the boy in her arms carefully.

Suddenly, the door opened and Harry Potter burst into the room.

'What did I miss? Are they here yet?' he asked hurriedly, looking around the room wildly at everyone, and panting as though he had just been on a run.

'Yes, Mr. Potter, our children have graced us with their presence,' Severus drawled, carefully lifting Luciana out of Hermione's arms and walking her over to Harry. 'Glad you finally saw fit to make an appearance.'

'What can I say? Fashionably late,' he said with a careless grin, accepting the baby girl into his arms with practiced ease, and cuddling her, smoothing her hair gently. 'Well, she's a lovely little girl, I will give you that. Who would have thought I would ever be holding one of Professor Snape's babies?'

'Harry Potter, play fair,' Ginny chided from her position in the room.

'Harry, we were thinking that maybe you would be Sebastian's Godfather,' Hermione said, scowling at Severus when it looked as though her might protest.

'I'd be happy to accept such an honor,' he answered, walking over to Ginny to take a look at his soon-to-be godson. 'Well, he's got your nose, Severus, but he's bound to be a heartbreaker at school.'

Severus merely pulled a sour face at that, but kept quiet at Hermione's warning look towards him. He knew better than to annoy his witch when she was as exhausted as she undoubtedly was.

Soon after, the Potter's left the room and gave the two newborns back to their parents, and went to collect their own progeny from Poppy Pomfrey's office. Megan finally entered the room, and was instantly at Hermione's side, perching herself right beside her adoptive mother, and gazing adoringly at her new baby brother and sister. She seemed to be almost in awe of the children, and just watching her made Severus feel warm on the inside. She was going to be a brilliant older sister, and was going to provide Hermione with all the help in the world.

'Can I hold one of them?' she asked timidly, fearing that they might say no because they were so little.

'Certainly,' Severus said immediately, shifting Luciana right into her arms before helping her arranging her arms to correctly cradle a baby. 'Meet your sister, Luciana.'

Megan beamed at that. 'She's so beautiful!' she exclaimed softly over the little girl she cradled in her arms. 'They are both so beautiful actually.'

'Well, now you're going to have the huge responsibility of setting a good example for these two little ones to follow,' Severus told her, looking quite serious. 'And I am confident that you will be up for the job.'

Megan looked over at Hermione, and noted that she had drifted off to sleep. 'I think I can do that, for them, and for your and Mum,' she answered quietly.

Severus nodded in approval, and carefully lifted his boy out of his slumbering mother's arms, looking down at him proudly. He was a father. His family was all right there in the room with him, and everything he did from that point onward, would affect them before anyone else. He had a big job ahead of him, and he wasn't totally sure that he was right for it. But he sure as hell was going to give it his all.

'This is the way it was supposed to be,' he said to nobody in particular.

Megan, however, seemed to understand his words and nodded. 'I think so too.'

--

A/N – Thank you to everyone for being so patient with me. I have finally gotten around to writing the sequel to "The Headmaster", and well here is the first chapter. I figured it was easiest to just pick up where I left off. There is no telling how long this will be, but sit tight for the ride if you will. Thanks!


	2. The Godmother

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

--

Chapter 2 - The Godmother

The great-grandfather clock in the hallway chimed loudly, alerting the occupants of the general vicinity to the fact that it was already twelve noon. Hermione was busy putting the twins to bed in the nursery of the Headmaster's chambers, when the knocking began on their door. Quickly tucking Sebastian into his cot, and pulling a little woolen rug over him, she kissed him on his little forehead, and turned out the lights in the room so that their pair could sleep undistracted for a couple of hours. She had already built a smooth routine with them, and would feed them before their nap at noon each day.

Once she was sure that they would be fine, she cast a quick ward to alert her to any changes, and went to answer the knocking at her door. Opening the portrait that guarded the main entrance to the Snape's chambers, Hermione was greeted by the sight of Julia and Bill, who were both smiling and holding wrapped gifts, that were no doubt for the babies.

'Oh! Come in, you two! I was expecting you at least an hour from now,' Hermione exclaimed, hugging them both as they walked inside past her.

'Are the twins asleep?' Julia asked as she took off her pea coat and hung it up on the coat hook space provided by the door.

Hermione nodded. 'Unfortunately I just fed them and put them to bed, but they will undoubtedly be awake again in an hour or so,' she answered, ushering Bill in and taking his coat.

'We were having the hardest time looking for a gift for them, but Julia finally stumbled upon something in Egypt that was perfect for them,' Bill informed her as they handed the gift-wrapped items to her.

'You know very well you didn't need to buy those two little scamps anything,' Hermione said with a smile. 'They're honestly going to be the most spoiled children in the whole United Kingdom.'

'Quite possibly the whole of Europe,' Bill teased with a grin. 'Just open them.'

Shaking her head and smiling, Hermione invited them into the sitting room with her and ordered tea and sandwiches before settling down with the two gifts. In her precise way, she began carefully unwrapping the gifts, being sure not to rip the paper, and soon revealed the first present to be a small stuffed animal – or rather, a small plush sphinx to be exact. It was animated, and made small purring sounds occasionally, but for the most part, curled around itself and slept like a great cat. Obviously that one was meant for Luciana.

The second present she unwrapped with just as much tenderness, revealing a plush pyramid, that glowed with changing hieroglyphics and tipped from the different faces to reveal different images. It was not overly complex, and the imagery was simple, but clever, and was bound to encourage some sort of learning at an early age. Severus would probably pretend to be unimpressed by the gifts, but Hermione knew better. He would love that their friends knew to give their children clever gifts.

'The sphinx also has protection charms on it, and will erect a protective barrier around Luciana if it ever feels that she is threatened, and the same applies to the pyramid for Sebastian,' Julia explained. 'We wanted to give them something that would be clever, but still something for a child. The parents in Egypt all have these for their children for good luck and protection against evil forces.'

'This was very lovely and thoughtful of you both,' Hermione said with a smile. 'I am positive Severus will be thrilled, as will the twins.'

'I'm really sorry that I couldn't make it to the birthing last week,' Julia said suddenly, sounding extremely apologetic about it also. 'Bill and I got called away on work, and travelling back here from Egypt while we were digging at the temple… well I know it's a terrible excuse, but trust me when I say that you'd be lucky to get a message sent to you on the day it was intended for you.'

Hermione smiled and waved her off. 'Don't be silly, I understand perfectly,' she said softly. 'I don't mind that you weren't able to be there. When did you get back home from Egypt though?'

'We got back about an hour before we came knocking,' Bill answered nonchalantly.

'What on earth are you two doing here? You must be exhausted from your trip!' Hermione exclaimed.

'We're not really that tired,' Julia reassured her. 'I don't know about Bill, but I was much too excited to see Luciana and Sebastian that I didn't even think about rest.'

'I agree,' Bill said, grabbing a sandwich from the tray that had appeared.

Being the gentleman that he was, he poured tea for all of them, before they all settled back and chatted about the work that Julia was doing in an ancient temple outside of Cairo. At around half past one, Severus entered their sitting room from the door in his office, joining the friendly party. It was at two that Hermione's wards shifted, alerting her to the waking of the twins. She excused herself from the room and quickly went to retrieve both of them, ensuring that they were wrapped snuggly in a blanket each before returning to her husband and friends.

'Luciana has been very eager to meet you both,' Hermione told them as she handed the little bundle in pink to Julia and passed Sebastian to Severus.

'Oh, she is so lovely!' Julia exclaimed, looking over Luciana's dark hair straight hair, fair complexion and dark eyes. 'She looks just like a perfect combination of the two of you.'

'Hello, little darling,' Bill said, stroking her soft cheek. 'Congratulations.'

Hermione looked over at Severus and he nodded at her to let her know it was okay for her to continue with what she had to say. 'Severus and I would like very much if the two of you would agree to become Luciana's godparents,' she said seriously. 'We thought about it for a while, and we decided that you would both be the kind of people we want in our daughter's life, and can think of no one better to raise her should something happen to the two of us.'

'We would love to,' Bill answered for the two of them and Julia nodded.

'We've also decided to ask Minerva to be Godmother to both children as well,' Severus added. 'It's not customary for children to have more than one Godmother, but we've decided that as we are not exactly a conventional family, what's the point in trying to be conventional at all?'

'It sounds like a wonderful plan,' Julia told them honestly.

'When will the naming ceremony be then?' Bill asked.

'We had planned to leave it for at least another few weeks until the twins are about a month old,' Hermione answered. 'Their magic will likely be showing a lot more then, and the ceremony will be more effective and more their own.'

The four adults talked a little more about the naming ceremony plans for a while, before Julia began yawning, and Hermione insisted that they get some rest. After they left, Severus remained with his wife in the sitting room for a while with her and their children, reading a book, and watching fondly as all three of them fell asleep. He managed to get both Sebastian and Luciana out of Hermione's arms without waking her, and tucked them in their beds before returning to the sitting room.

He went back to the oval office and immediately went to his desk to begin writing a letter. Minerva had yet to see the babies, and he had every intention of making sure that she did find the time to meet her godchildren before the day of their naming ceremony. Once he completed his note, he summoned one of the school owls, and sent it off with the missive attached, before sitting back in his leather chair and sighing.

'Long day, my boy?' asked the familiar voice of his friend and mentor.

Severus spun around in his chair to face the portrait of Albus Dumbledore and smiled at it faintly. 'It has been a long week,' he answered seriously. 'If it weren't for all the help that both Megan and Ginevra gave Hermione, I wouldn't have the time of day to do my job as Headmaster.'

'Trust me when I say that I know you would manage somehow,' Albus replied cheerfully. 'Did I not say to you earlier this year that all would be well and that you would be a wonderful husband and father? Are you not proving this now? Look at young Megan, for example. She has blossomed under your watchful eyes.'

'She is a blessing in herself, old friend,' Severus said honestly. 'She didn't _need_ Hermione or me to discover her potential. She had it all there in front of her.'

'And yet, you took her under your wing,' the old wizard replied.

'Nobody should have to grow up without knowing what it is like to have a whole family to love and be loved by,' the dark-haired wizard said solemnly. 'Trust me when I say that I know exactly what that is like.'

'You turned out to be a fine man,' Albus pressed. 'You are a fine companion, friend, and the most excellent son that any man could have asked for.'

Severus felt his stomach flip and pulse pause in his veins at that statement. It didn't matter how many times Albus said it, but every time he so much as mentioned the fact that he thought of him as a son, Severus would instantly begin to feel like he might cry. He never did cry, mind, but he was always sorely tempted to. And although he had never been able to respond in kind, he always thought that Albus had been more like a father to him than his own ever had.

'Sentimental old fool,' Severus murmured softly.

Albus only chuckled. 'Oh, I think I hear a call in my other portrait,' he said suddenly. 'I had best go and see what Minerva wants.'

Albus' form disappeared from the frame for a few minutes before returning. Severus sat up to pay attention to the message that the man had for him.

'Well?' Severus asked.

'Minerva would like for you to allow her immediate Floo access so that she might pay a visit to you and your family,' Albus said with a warm smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes despite the fact that he was only a painting.

'You may tell her to Floo directly to my office,' Severus answered.

Albus disappeared once more, but instead of returning immediately, Severus assumed he had decided to go off and visit around the castle or the paintings and portraits in Minerva's own home. Soon afterwards, the fireplace glowed with the green of the flames, and Minerva stepped out of it, brushing imaginary soot from her clothing before looking up at Severus and smiling. She rushed towards him and enveloped him in a maternal hug, squeezing him tightly until he felt he might not be able to breathe.

'Congratulations, my boy!' she exclaimed. 'Now where is this family of yours?'

'They were all asleep when I left them earlier,' he explained, leading the way through to their chambers, and happening upon Hermione as she was coming out of their little kitchen.

'Minerva!' Hermione exclaimed, hugging the older woman fondly. 'It's been so long since your last visit! We've missed you.'

'Aye, I've missed you all too,' she replied in her thick brogue. 'Now, show me to your children.'

Hermione nodded eagerly. 'Your godchildren will be very happy to meet you at last,' she said simply, stopping Minerva in her tracks.

The older woman looked from Hermione to Severus and he nodded. 'Would you?' he asked her simply.

Minerva beamed as they all entered the twins' room. 'I would be honored.'

--

A/N – Thanks for reading. The next chapter is on the way! Please review.


	3. Family Trials

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

--

Chapter 3 - Family Trials

The clock in the hall chimed loudly at half nine that morning, signaling that it was time for the twins' bath. Following her tight schedule, Hermione filled the baby bath in the bathroom, and took both children in, leaving Luciana in a basinet while she tended to Sebastian first. As she bathed and cleaned him thoroughly, it gave her time to muse back on the events of that week so far.

On Tuesday morning she had received a letter from the Wizengamot informing her of her requested presence at the trials of Ronald Weasley, for his use of an Unforgiveable curse on his brother. Just a couple of months earlier, Hermione had been feeling certain the trials would not even be going ahead, but she was relieved that they were. Ron had once been a very great friend of hers, and she wanted to believe that he had only been having a delayed psychological breakdown from after the war. But after his examinations turned up nothing, she knew it was pointless to cling to hope when there was none.

The trials were set for that afternoon, and she had planned to leave the twins for a while with Megan in charge of their care. Severus had suggested giving their adoptive daughter the responsibility to show her that they trusted her. For him to suggest such a thing was a very big deal as far as Hermione was concerned, which out her wary mind at ease. In the past three weeks, she had been fully in mother mode, and had barely been able to go without seeing them for half an hour before she would check-up on them.

'Hermione?' called Severus' voice from somewhere in their chambers.

'I'm in the bathroom!' she replied, finishing Sebastian's bath off, and toweling him dry lightly.

Severus rounded the corner and stood in the doorway to the bathroom, just as Hermione put on his nappy, and started dressing him in his little bodysuit. Chuckling at the sight of his son putting little hands all over Hermione's face as she tried to dress him, Severus entered the bathroom and dropped down to floor, carefully plucking his son from his wife's grip and completing the task of dressing him, while Hermione began the undressed and bathing of Luciana.

'You are adorable, wife,' he told her as he cuddled with his boy on the bathroom floor, while watching as Hermione bathed his daughter.

She laughed softly, splashing a little water in his general direction. 'You are a shameless flirt, husband,' she told him matter-of-factly.

He chuckled and helped Hermione with the bathing process by toweling off his daughter and dressing her, and then followed his wife through to the sitting room where the twins' day cot had been set up. They were both tucked into their bed with their gifts from Bill and Julia, and soft blankets, ready to await the arrival of Megan.

'Why don't you go and get ready to leave for the Ministry?' Severus prompted softly, giving his wife a nudge.

'Okay,' she agreed, leaving the room.

Severus sat in the armchair closest to the cot and opened the book he always read from to his family at the page he was last, and began to read. He got through a whole two chapters before Hermione reemerged clean and dressed in her best black robes, with her hair all pulled back in a silky knot save for a few small stray ringlets around her face. She was an unassuming beauty if he had even seen one. He stood and walked to meet her, pulling her slim form into his and capturing her lips in a meaningful kiss. He smoothed his hands over her hips and around to her belly. Despite having just given birth a few short weeks ago, her body had returned to its former slenderness.

'You look as though you had never been pregnant at all,' he told her seriously, spinning her in his arms and kissing her neck.

Hermione laughed softly. 'It was lucky that you made me that cream to prevent stretch marks, or there would be more evidence to the contrary,' she said with a grin. 'Now you go and get ready, and I will call for Megan, and let Filius know we are leaving.'

He nodded and complied immediately. Hermione smiled and shook her head. She had never imagined Severus to be the complaint type, but he constantly proved her misconceived theories wrong. She quickly Flooed Filius and also sent a missive to Megan, requesting her presence there, and not five minutes later, was opening the door to their chambers to let her inside.

'So, are they asleep?' Megan asked as she walked in and hung up her coat.

'They are sleeping at the moment, but you will have to feed them at noon, and mind you burp them properly or they'll feel ill later,' Hermione answered, leading Megan over to the cot. 'Do you have any study to do while you're here?'

Megan shook her head. 'I do all of my work on Friday nights so I can have a weekend free of school,' she answered with a proud grin. 'Can I read some of the books from your study instead?'

'Feel free to read anything that isn't in the locked cupboard,' the older witch answered with a proud smile of her own. 'And call Dobby if you get hungry at any point.'

'The milk for the twins is in the refrigerator, yes?' the young witch inquired.

'Yes, there are two bottles there for each of them, and you will just need to cast a mild warming charm on them before you feed them. Just be careful not to overheat them,' Hermione answered, patting her lightly on the shoulder.

'I'll be careful, Mum,' Megan said seriously, before going off to the study to find some suitable reading material for the afternoon.

As soon as she was out of the room, Severus emerged from the shadows and wrapped his arms around Hermione snuggly. 'Everything is going to be fine, my love,' he reassured gently. 'Sebastian and Luciana could not be in better hands for the afternoon. You mustn't stress my pet.'

Hermione nodded and turned in his arms. 'I've just never left them for more than half an hour before in the last few weeks, and it's going to drive me barmy not being able to know exactly where they are and what they will be doing,' she answered with a slight sob into his chest. 'I know Megan will be fine though – it's just hard.'

Severus rubbed her back and shushed her. 'It's alright for you to be anxious,' he soothed. 'Just try not to think about it and it will all be over, and then we'll be back here again before you know it.'

Hermione nodded, and as soon as Megan was back in the sitting room, they bid her and their babies goodbye, and Flooed straight to the Ministry main entry hall. They took the lift right down to the bottom floors, where the Chambers of the Wizengamot were, and proceeded to walk towards the courtroom that was being used that day. Hermione's stomach was rioting, and her nervousness could be seen in her expression as Severus led her into the room, and to the witness box, where Harry, Ginny, the Lupin's, Julia and Bill were already seated.

'Hermione, you look a fright,' Tonks said seriously. 'Come and have a seat and take it easy for a few minutes, will you.'

Ginny hugged her in sympathy as Hermione sat down beside her. 'It's okay, you lot,' the redhead said with a small smile. 'Hermione here is just going through a little separation anxiety from the twins. The same thing happened to me when I left Lily with my Mother for a few hours for the first time.'

Severus sat down right beside her and put an arm around her, hugging her lightly, and pressing a swift kiss to her forehead. 'Everything is going to be just fine, love,' he told her, rubbing small circles on her back then.

A few minutes later, the Wizengamot Elders entered the courtroom, along with Tiberius Ogden, the recently instated Chief Warlock. The room fell into silence, and the doors to the outside were closed and warded against entry or exit of the room. From his position, Severus could see Arthur Weasley seated amongst the Elders. He knew it had to have been extremely difficult for him to be there that day, when it was his own son that was on trial for the unspeakable crimes that had been committed. There was nothing worse than having to sentence a son to prison. Severus could only think of the outcome of Barty Crouch Sr. all those years ago during the Triwizard tournament and feel nervous about the outcome for this trial.

'I would like to call attention to all of those present in the courtroom this day, Saturday October the 3rd, that the trial of one Ronald Bilius Weasley, be sanctioned to begin,' Tiberius Ogden said in a clear voice. 'I ask those Elders of the council to raise your hands if you agree that this be so.'

Every single one of the Elders raised their hands, and so Ogden banged his gavel sharply a few times to officially begin the trial. A side door opened then, and two Auror's led Ron into the room. There were no iron shackles to be seen, but Hermione knew that there had to be some sort of Magical ones in place to stop Ron from lashing out or making any sudden moves. There also would have been something on him to restrict the movement of his legs so that he could only walk.

'I now call this court to order and ask that the charges be read out,' Ogden said calmly, and soon the Kingsley Shacklebolt stood from his seat to read them out.

The first part of the trial with all of the legalities being observed was slow, and seemed as though it would never end. It was worse than a trial in a Muggle court any day. The papers were read through, and all of the charges were described in full, before any of the witnesses were called to the stand to speak. Bill, being the primary victim was called to the stand and asked to give a statement about the events of the entire evening, from when he first arrived, to the argument, and then finally, his passing out from the _Cruciatus_ curse.

Julia, Tonks and Harry were also called upon to speak of their perspectives, before Hermione was finally named as one that would have to take the stand. She nervously got out of her seat, and made her way to the stand, receiving many sad looks from those in the general crowd. It was as though they pitied her for having to speak out against her friend and the man that everyone had assumed she would one day marry.

'Hermione Jane Snape, do you solemnly swear this day that every word from your mouth shall be a truth, with the punishment being an immediate sentence to Azkaban should you lie to the court?' asked Griselda Marchbanks from the Elder stand.

'I do so solemnly swear,' she answered with only a slight hitch.

'Thank you,' she said. 'Now the court would like to hear your description of the events.'

Hermione nodded and swallowed. 'It was just as Harry said – everyone had just arrived, and we were in the sitting room conversing, when Ronald Flooed in and seemed rather disgruntled that he had not been invited also. He made some snide comments about it being a couple's party, before Bill finally told him off for it,' she began fairly calmly. 'Ron lost it after that point, and was swearing and getting rather angry. I tried to calm him, but he wouldn't listen. Then he aimed the Unforgiveable _Cruciatus_ curse at Julia, but Bill stepped in the way of it to save her from harm. It took both Severus and Remus to tackle Ron and stop him after that.'

Tiberius nodded then. 'Now that we have heard all of the witness accounts of the events, the Elders and myself, along with the rest of the Wizengamot will take our time to decide this man's fate,' he said seriously. 'Until then, this court is adjourned.'

Hermione let out a breath and slumped in the stand, sparing a brief glance to Ron. She almost wished she hadn't, for when she did, all that she saw was the anger in his eyes, and promise of revenge as he slid a finger over his neck to imitate the act of slitting her throat. Severus came to the front to retrieve her then, and she hastily beat a path out of the room and away from her former friend.

She could still see Ron mouth 'You're next,' in her mind.

--

A/N – More is on the way, but no promises when it will be delivered. Please review!


	4. Ceremonial Robes

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

--

Chapter 4 - Ceremonial Robes

During the week after the trials at the Ministry, everyone in the castle was busy. Severus and Hermione, however, were not the only ones pressed for time. Everyone else that they had asked to be involved in the Naming Ceremony for the twins were also rushing around and helping the Headmaster and Hermione get things organized in the short amount of time that they had left. The day for the big event had finally arrived, and Hermione had been pacing around their chambers restlessly, waiting anxiously for the Potters, Bill, Julia and Minerva to arrive with the twins' robes for their ceremony.

Severus was currently in the other room with Megan, talking through with her the last details of what she would be required to do at the naming ceremony. He had been a little bit worried about the signs of stress Hermione had been showing, and so had their daughter. It was surprising how fast he had become accustomed to thinking of Megan as a true daughter of his.

'Your mother is terribly stressed and pacing it out in the other room. Do you think it would be possible for you to go and help the decoration coordination in the Great Hall for me until I can get back there?' he asked, running his fingers through his long hair as he pushed it back from his face.

'Sure, I'll take care of it,' she answered with a grin. 'Two words; Calming Draught.'

Severus chuckled, sending the girl on her way before heading back to the other room to see his wife. She had stopped pacing, and was now fiddling with the outfits that the twins would be wearing beneath their robes. The godparents were all running behind Hermione's schedule, and he knew it was beginning to get to her. He smiled, watching as she fixed the tiniest little creases in their clothing with her wand, smoothing soft baby hair and just generally fussing.

'Love, you need to calm yourself down a little,' he told her, walking into the room to join her.

'I would be calm if everyone would just stick to the schedule,' she snapped irritably, stuffing her wand up the sleeve of her robes.

Severus sighed and walked right up to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. 'Sweetheart, things never go totally according to plan. That would be like a world in disarray. Everything will be fine – I'm sure everyone will be here soon, and that they will have a perfectly legitimate reason for not sticking fastidiously to your very detailed plan,' he gently reassured her.

She sighed heavily and leaned back into him. 'I know this,' she said quietly. 'I just want everything to be perfect.'

'And it will be perfect,' he said gently. 'But perfect does not mean that everything will be exactly as you have planned it. Sometimes it's just best to go with the flow.'

Hermione turned in his arms and smiled, looking up at his face. 'You know, when I first started working here at Hogwarts, I would never have expected you to say anything like that ever,' she mused, grinning.

'Back then, I was a grumpy git who didn't have a beautiful, loving wife and a family,' he reminded her, tapping the end of her nose with a long finger.

Hermione smiled lovingly at him, and opened her mouth to reply, when they heard knocking on the back entrance door to their chambers. She quickly pulled out of his arms and immediately went to answer the door, suddenly reminded that crucial people had yet to arrive for the pre-ceremony planning. On opening the door, four of the five people suddenly rushed past her into the chambers, apologizing profusely as they did, and shedding their travelling cloaks.

'We're so sorry that we're late Hermione,' Ginny said as she removed her scarf and handed Hermione the box containing Sebastian's ceremonial robes. 'We met up with Julia and Bill at Madam Malkin's and it turns out she had a little bit of trouble with a break-in last night, so things were in disarray there.'

'Oh that's terrible!' Hermione exclaimed, ushering all four of them into the sitting room. 'Well, it's alright, but Minerva isn't here yet, so we're still going to have to wait a bit before we can dress the twins.'

Just as she said that, Severus came out of the twins' room, holding both of them in each of his arms. He silently allowed Ginny and Harry to relieve him of Sebastian to gush over, and then passed his little Luciana over to Julia and Bill.

'Minerva not here yet, my love?' he asked Hermione, who smiled tightly and shook her head in response. 'Well, I had better get back down to the Great Hall to make sure that Megan is handling things alright.'

'Please thank her for me, Sev,' Hermione said, kissing his cheek. 'And tell her that I love her and I'll see you both down there as soon as Minerva gets here and their in their robes.'

He nodded and left their chambers, leaving Hermione alone with the babies and their godparents. Minerva arrived a few minutes later via Floo, and stepped out with the small boxes that contained the slippers for the twins. Soon they were both dressed and ready for the ceremony, and everyone left the Snape's chambers and headed down to the Great Hall to join Severus and have a quick run-through of what was expected during the ceremony. They arrived, just as Filius Flitwick and Rolanda Hooch were leaving the hall, and stopped briefly to gush over the babies before moving on.

When they walked into the hall, they were all blown away. The entire hall had been decorated with white, silver and gold, and was simple, while being breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. There were rows upon rows of white chairs all set out and facing the stage where the main event would be taking place. Hermione smiled, and leaving the babies with the other adults, she went to Severus and Megan on the other side of the hall, and threw herself at them in a smothering hug.

'It's perfect!' she exclaimed. 'It is exactly what I would have wanted for the ceremony!'

Severus smiled and hugged his wife fondly. 'Well you have Megan to thank for the coordination of all of it,' he informed her proudly, putting a warm hand on the young girls' shoulder.

Hermione beamed and grabbed the girl, hugging her tightly. 'You truly are a delight!' she exclaimed excitedly, kissing her on the forehead.

Megan smiled. 'Well I was told to do my best,' she replied simply. 'I wanted it all to be perfect for you and the babies, Mum.'

'Oh, Megan! I don't know what I would do without you,' Hermione said, tears welling up in her eyes as she began to cry softly.

'The same goes for me,' Severus added. 'You do a lot for your mother and me, and take care of the twins and do well at everything you put your mind to. We are both grateful to have you as a part of our little family.'

By this point, Hermione was openly sobbing her eyes out. She was directed over to the chairs by Megan, before Severus went over to their friends to inform them all the fuss was about. Ginny Potter began to sniff first as she watched the crying increase until she too, went over to join the ladies and cry with them. Severus looked at Harry, who simply rolled his eyes as if to say "women".

'Where are you're two children at present?' Severus asked the younger wizard thoughtfully.

'We've left them with Charlie back at our house,' Harry answered. 'He's taking care of them there until they have to be here for the ceremony. Ginny and I figured it would be easier that way, and it was lucky we did, what with all the commotion getting the robes and then finding our way here was.'

Severus nodded in understanding. An hour later, the invited guests were starting to arrive. Apparently Hermione had not been joking about the number of friends she had made over the years that she had been out of school. Not to mention the number of Order Members and Ministry officials who were there to witness the event also. His mind was ticking over the number of seats that had been set up according to Hermione's R.S.V.P. numbers, and he guessed that if they were mostly filled, there would be approximately 350 guests at the twins' Naming.

At exactly two p.m., a balding wizard in high priest robes, swept in. He was obviously the officiating Wizard, so everyone got ready to take their places, and silence fell over the crowd of friends and family. Severus found himself at the opposite end of the aisle from the Potters, Bill, Julia and Minerva, wearing his black dress robes, and holding both of the twins. It was a practice in Magical society that the father of the children would be the one involved in the ceremony, and that the mother would sit and the front and watch. It was a very old, chauvinist tradition, but it was what it was. Hermione, while being slightly miffed that she could only be involved to a certain point, understood that this was a special moment for Severus.

Severus began to walk down the center of the aisle between the rows of people, heading toward the Official. He arrived and immediately dropped to his knees, bowing his head, while still holding his two children.

'I, Severus Aurelius Snape, humbly ask that you bless my two children, and bind them to me as their father and protector for all time,' Severus said immediately.

'I ask you this day, what names do you give to these two children that you present as your own?' the official replied in kind.

'My wife and I give our girl the name Luciana Iris Snape, and our boy Sebastian Alexander Snape,' he answered. 'I give them both godparents; three apiece.'

'Name the godparents that you give to your eldest child.'

'I give Luciana Iris to Julia Crittenden-Ainsworth, William Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall, for them to provide her with love, care and an upbringing worthy of her should I and her mother come to harm,' Severus answered solemnly.

'And who do you give your youngest child to?'

'I give Sebastian Alexander to Ginevra Potter, Harry Potter, and Minerva McGonagall, for them to provide him with love, care, and an upbringing worthy of him should I and his mother come to harm,' he replied.

'I bind you to these two children, Severus Aurelius Snape, and bless you to provide and care for them until and beyond the time that they should come of age,' the official said seriously, casting a web of charms over the three of them.

Severus stood once that was over and then handed the twins to their godparents, with Minerva in the middle, binding them all together. 'I ask that these friends are bound to our children in the same way as I was bound,' he said softly.

'The Elemental Magic's approve of this choice, and I now bind you all to these children,' the man said seriously, casting a different coloured web of charms over them all.

After that, there was a moment where the godparents gifted the babies each with their own protective charm, before they were handed back to Severus, and the formal ceremony concluded. The rows of chairs were then magically removed, and the Great Hall turned into a giant banquet, with round tables, similarly decorated in white, gold and silver. Hermione immediately rushed to her husband and relieved him of her little boy, cuddling him close and kissing all three of them. Megan joined them, then, and everyone in the hall would have agreed that they all looked perfect together.

--

A/N – Sorry for the wait. I have exams, and they take up quite a lot of time to study for. No promises for the next update. Thanks.


	5. Day of Judgment

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

--

Chapter 5 - Day of Judgment

The clouds in the sky that day were a particularly dark shade of grey. The weekend forecast had predicted constant rains, although the rain had yet to begin falling that morning. Hermione and Severus had been called away to London yet again, to attend the delivery of Ronald's sentence. It had been nearly a month since the trial, and the Wizengamot had taken a very long time to make their decision as to his fate. With Megan left in charge of the twins, and the castle in the capable hands of Filius Flitwick, Severus and Hermione Apparated to London with the knowledge that everything at home would be fine while they were gone.

But despite knowing everything would be fine at the castle, Hermione's anxiety was on the rise. She had spent the whole of the night before going over Ron's trial in her head until she had a migraine. All she could see was Ron and his threat to her as she had left the courtroom. Severus had tried everything in his power to calm her, yet nothing had worked, and he had been forced to dose her with Dreamless sleep before she could get any sleep. Needless to say, that morning she had woken rested, but then the panic set in just as quickly as it had the night before.

They arrived at the Ministry and made their way through the main hall to the elevator, forcing their way through the crowd of reporters and flashing cameras. Once they were in the elevator, Hermione let out the breath that she had been holding in. This was a whole lot more difficult than she had imagined it would be. Severus stood beside her, grasping her hand in his firmly, rubbing soothing circles over the top of her hand. The doors opened once they had arrived at their floor, and they walked together from the elevator to the courtroom waiting room together.

'Hermione!' Julia exclaimed as they entered the waiting room.

The younger witch hugged her fiercely, holding on tightly as though she would not let go. Severus stood back to allow the two women to talk and console each other, joining Remus, Harry and Bill on the other side of the room. They all waited patiently until a member of the Wizengamot entered to alert them to the beginning of the proceedings in a few minutes time. They left the waiting room, and took their positions in the witness stand to await the verdict.

Hermione felt restless in her chair as they waited for the proceedings to begin. She glanced around the room, taking in the faces of all the people, only vaguely registering who they were as she did. She felt Severus take her hand from beside her and gazed briefly at their entwined fingers before looking up into her husband's eyes. She registered the concern there and smiled a little to reassure him that she would be alright. He nodded, and she turned to back to face the front, and looked down to the defendant's stand just as Ron was led into the courtroom by two Auror's. As soon as the Wizengamot Wizards and Witches were settled, the proceedings began.

'We are gathered in this courtroom this day to deliver the decision unanimously made by the wizards and witches of the Wizengamot,' announced Tiberius Ogden to the room. 'On the matter of sentencing Mr. Ronald Weasley; for his deliberate use of the Cruciatus Curse on Mr. Bill Weasley, his attempt to use said curse on Ms. Julia Crittenden-Ainsworth, and his violent actions towards both Headmaster Severus Snape, and Professor Remus Lupin, we find the defendant guilty on all charges. You are hereby sentenced to twenty years in Azkaban prison.'

The court suddenly erupted in voices all chattering, and not one person noticed as Ron knocked the Auror's out of his way, as he struggled and forced his way up the aisle, heading straight for Hermione. Screams tore through the room, and he was almost on her when he suddenly froze up as Tiberius Ogden regained control of a wand in order to stop him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, pumping the blood through her veins at an unbelievable pace and causing her to swoon from a sudden onset of dizziness.

'Hermione!' Severus barked, reaching over to grab a hold of her before she slumped out of her chair, dragging her into his lap.

She could barely hear the chaos around her through the blood pounding in her ears. All that she was aware of before she passed into blackness was the yelling, crying voices of the people she loved, and the general panic surrounding her.

It wasn't until two hours later, when she finally started to wake up, that Severus ceased to pace the bedroom in their chambers at Hogwarts. He rushed to her side and sat on the bed beside her, dabbing at her forehead with a wet cloth that he conjured to soothe her. She blinked rapidly a few times before slowly pushing herself into a sitting position. Severus helped her and put a few pillows behind her back to prop her up comfortably, and leaned in, kissing her cheek gently.

'Everyone has been so worried about you, my love,' he murmured softly, stroking her face gently.

'I have no idea what came over me,' she said softly. 'Ron… he just… I just – I couldn't stop myself from passing out.'

'It's okay,' he said, putting his arms around her tightly and squeezing. 'You were stressed, and Weasley lunging at you across the courtroom just escalated it.'

Hermione nodded, closing her eyes and breathing in her husband's scent. He always made her feel better. The pair sat for a while longer in silence, until Hermione made to nudge him out of the way so that she could climb off the bed. She realized that she had been away from the twins all day, and that she really felt like seeing them would make her feel a lot better. Severus took her to where they were with Megan, sitting on the rug near the fire, with the two babies asleep, and their adoptive daughter doing some of her homework.

'Thank you for taking such good care of them, love,' Hermione said, causing the young girl to look up from her study and beam.

'It was my pleasure,' Megan answered. 'They were both so easy to care for and they're so adorable.'

Hermione beamed at her adopted daughter fondly. 'You truly are a gem,' she said, reaching down and stroking Megan's cheek.

Megan stood up and hugged her tightly around the middle. 'I am glad that you are okay,' she said softly. 'Dad told me about what happened in the courtroom today. He told me I was old enough to know and understand it all.'

The older witch kissed her head and nodded in agreement. 'He's right, you know,' Hermione told her. 'You're the smartest girl in your year, and you're certainly the most mature I've seen so far.'

Megan beamed at that.

The rest of the afternoon was spent resting in front of the fireplace. Severus had gone off to relieve Filius Flitwick of the Headmaster's duties, leaving his two ladies to care for his two babies. The little ones rolled over onto their stomachs to play for a bit and sleep some more, and Megan fell asleep on the couch, drowsy from the warmth of the fireplace. It had been a long while since the Snape's had been allowed the time to experience serenity such as that.

Soon, the time for dinner came around once more and Megan rushed off to join her friends and eat dinner with the rest of the Gryffindors. Deciding that it was time for her to start being around the other staff more, Hermione got the twins bathed and ready to take with her to the Great Hall. Before she could leave their chambers, however, Severus showed up to in the doorway to the twins' room as she was just putting a little shirt on Luciana.

'I'm coming to dinner in the hall as well,' she informed him at his questioning look.

'I won't try to stop you, but why the sudden decision to take the meals in the hall with the rest of the school again?' he asked.

'I want to start teaching again soon. I've been away from the classroom for too long,' she replied. 'It's best the twins start getting used to seeing everyone else around the school while they are young.'

'You don't plan to take them into your classes with you, I assume,' Severus said, crossing his arms over his chest and raising a dark eyebrow at her.

Hermione shot him a dark look. 'You assume correctly,' she said curtly, bundling Sebastian up in a blanket and passing him to Severus carefully. 'They will stay with you part time and when they are with me, I shall keep them in my office and prepare a corner for their day bed and toys.'

'You seem to have given this a lot of thought,' he said, bouncing the little boy is his arms gently before holding him against his chest.

'Well I haven't been sitting around idly all of the time,' she said, starting to sound a little annoyed.

Sensing that he was treading on dangerous territory, Severus ceased all conversation with Hermione and led the way out of their chambers. She had suffered a trying day, and he had the feeling that her cycle was well on its way to returning to normal. He also had the feeling that they would soon be able to return to their normal bedroom activities that they had been putting off since before the twins were born. They had both been ignoring their own needs for the children, and there had also been the compulsory healing time for Hermione for a few weeks after the birth.

They arrived at the Great Hall and entered through the staff door to the loud chatter of the students and staff alike. On entering, all of the staff took turns gushing over the two babies, and it took nearly ten minutes for them to get to their seats and for Severus to announce dinner to begin. Once they were settled at the table with a baby each to look after, the meal began and the loud talking started up again also.

'The children are looking healthy,' Filius commented to Severus.

'They are,' Severus agreed. 'I am proud of them already – Luciana showed a hiccough of magic just the other day.'

'Oh how wonderful!' Filius exclaimed. 'I look forward to hearing more about their abilities in the future. With Hermione and yourself for parents they are sure to be very gifted children.'

Severus nodded and turned to look at his wife on his other side. 'Hermione, I didn't mean to upset you earlier,' he said calmly, shifting Sebastian so that he was resting with his little head on Severus' shoulder.

Hermione looked over at him and nodded. 'I know you didn't mean anything by it,' she replied. 'I've been a little moody; as I'm sure you've noticed.'

He smiled at her. 'I do not love you any less,' he whispered, leaning in and placing a small kiss on her cheek.

'I love you too,' she replied, smiling at him before looking back to Luciana who was cradled in one of her arms.

After dinner that night, the Snapes retired to their chambers, and after putting the twins to bed, Severus sat in his armchair by the fire with Hermione in his lap. They remained there well into the night, snuggled together in the warm orange glow emitted by the only source of light in the room.

Eventually they had to move, and fell together into their bed to sleep away the weariness from the day.

--

A/N – My apologies for the late update. They will continue to be infrequent.


	6. Professor Snape

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

* * *

Chapter 6 - Professor Snape

The Potions classroom was just as it had always been.

The shelves were all orderly and looked as though they might have been cleaned recently – most likely by a wayward student that was being punished. The cupboards were neat, and the ingredients in the storeroom all appeared to be well stocked. But what else was to be expected when none other than Severus Snape was presiding over the class as the substitute professor. Hermione had to say that she was as impressed with her husband as she had ever been. While she was known to use a different approach in her classroom, she was no less strict than Severus ever was in her days as a student.

It was fifteen minutes until breakfast was due to begin in the Great Hall, and Hermione had gone down to the dungeons to see her classroom for the first time since she had gone on maternity leave. The twins were with Severus that morning in his office, and he had promised to bring them both down to the hall with him at breakfast time. Once she had satisfied her curiosity about her classroom, she left the Dungeon and made her way slowly back up to the Great Hall. She took the staff side-door and saw that Severus was already there with Luciana in his arms, while Filius to his left was holding Sebastian.

Both babies seemed to be content with the persons' holding them. Smiling, she walked to her seat on the right side of her husband and sat down to enjoy her breakfast.

'Did you find everything the way you prefer?' Severus asked immediately as she seated herself.

She smiled at him. 'Yes, everything was perfect,' she answered. 'Thank you for taking such good care of my classroom and students.'

'It was the very least I could do to repay you for all that you have done for me, my love,' he murmured softly into her ear, causing her to blush.

Clearing her throat softly, she held out her arms to take Luciana from him. 'Let me hold her while you have some breakfast,' she said, lifting her little girl out of his arms and into hers. Unlike her, Severus had yet to master the talent of eating whilst holding a baby.

'Thank you, pet,' he said as he piled his plate with toast and eggs.

Hermione ate some fruit and finished quickly so that she could take the twins down to the dungeons with her afterwards to feed them. She and Severus both stood and left the table together, each holding one of their children and wished the rest of the staff a good day. Once safely ensconced in her office, Severus locked the door and cradled Luciana while Hermione parted her robe. Opening her blouse and moving aside the fabric of her bra, she allowed the hungry Sebastian to latch onto her nipple and feed. Once he had drank his share, Severus relieved her of him and went about the business of burping while she fed Luciana from her other breast.

When she was finished, she shifted her clothing back into place and closed her robe, but not before she caught her husband leering at her exposed breast.

'Severus, you can't look at me like that when I'm just about to teach a class,' she chastised with a small laugh at that sad look her gave her.

'But your breasts are so lovely,' he said with a pout that made her laugh even more. 'Fine, but you will not deny me later, my dear.'

She sauntered up to him as she patted Luciana on the back to burp her, and leaned up to kiss him on the lips gently. 'I can guarantee you that I will not deny you tonight,' she said huskily, letting him see the desire in her eyes.

Severus groaned and frowned at her. 'I'm going to have to get back to my office before I ravage you right here and now,' he said, taking Luciana from her as well. 'I had a cot set up in my office so that I can work and watch over them.'

'That was very sweet of you,' she said, glad that he had taken the initiative. She liked the house elves, but she just wasn't so sure she wanted a one to raise her children while she was working. 'I'll come up after this class is over to feed them again. I have a free double period.'

Severus left the dungeons and she sat in her office, mentally preparing herself for her first class since she had gone on leave. At exactly nine am, she went to the classroom door and opened it to find her second year Gryffindor-Slytherin class waiting for her quietly. She looked over to see Megan standing there with a huge smile on her face, then beckoned them inside. As they seated themselves, Hermione tapped her wand against the chalk board making the class notes appear.

'Welcome class,' she said with a smile.

'Welcome back, Professor Snape,' a young Gryffindor who sat beside Megan said. 'It wasn't the same without you here.'

'I take it you mean that it was different with the Headmaster teaching classes,' Hermione asked.

'We missed you,' Helena Smith, a Slytherin girl, piped up from the back. 'Headmaster Snape was very different to you in class.'

Hermione laughed inwardly. Apparently all of his years as the Headmaster had done nothing to gentle Severus' teaching technique. 'Well now that I am back, who can tell me where the Headmaster has taught you up to in your text books?' she asked.

Two hours later, as the last of her second-years left the classroom; she closed up her class schedule and took it to her office, locking the doors before tossing some Floo powder into the fireplace and stepping in. She Flooed straight up to Severus' office and walked out, dusting off her robes slightly as she did. What she found was his desk sitting empty while the man himself was over in the corner with an armchair pulled up to the cot, his two children both in his arms, with a book on his lap as he read to them.

'And you're sure that it's a good idea for you to be taking care of them during the day?' she asked as she approached.

He looked up at her, startled for a moment before he smiled sheepishly. 'Well Luciana began crying, which set off Sebastian also,' he told her. 'I thought reading to them might calm them down, and apparently it worked.'

'It was a very sweet sight to walk in on,' she admitted, walking over and relieving him of Luciana.

'How was your first class?' he asked, crooking a finger and summoning another armchair over for her to sit in.

'They were wonderful,' she said with a grin. 'Apparently everyone has missed me and they all think you are a harsh and overly demanding taskmaster. Well, all except for Megan of course.'

'She is the star of that class,' Severus said at the mention of their adoptive daughter. 'Of course, Helena Smith shows some promise as well.'

Hermione nodded. 'I had noticed that today. I was thinking that I could pair her and Megan together in class. It seems such a shame to have them working with others not quite as good as them who will only hold them back at a slower pace.'

'It might be a good idea. It might even help to promote a little inter-house unity early on in their schooling,' Severus mused.

Hermione smiled at the contemplative look on her husband's face that she loved so much. Looking down at the baby in her arms, she parted her robes once more and with a wave of her arm, the curtains were drawn on all of the portraits in the room. She heard the muffled indignation from all of the former Head's of school as she did so but ignored them in favor of freeing her breast.

'Lucy, darling,' she said softly to the baby. 'How would you like to have something to eat?'

The baby gurgled and smacked on her little fist, a look of delight on her face as Hermione offered her a breast to suckle. Severus chuckled at the sight, his dark eyes devouring the sight before him. It was such a beautiful thing to watch his wife feeding their children. Not to mention arousing as hell. Her breasts were slightly larger than they had been before the pregnancy, but after so many weeks they had already started to return to their regular size. Severus wondered how it was that she continued to be able to feed them.

'I just need to keep eating lots of healthy food and drinking a lot of water to keep the milk coming for them,' she said, snapping him out of his daze.

He looked up at her face with a bewildered expression. 'How did you know what I was thinking?' he asked.

'You were eyeing off my breasts and your eyebrows were furrowed like you were concentrating on an awfully difficult puzzle, Severus,' she said.

When the time came for lunch, the two of them left the office together, leaving the fed twins in the office to sleep with Dobby watching over them for an hour. In the Great Hall, Severus carefully took note of what his wife was eating. She had salad and a sandwich and drank a goblet of pumpkin juice and one of water also. She did eat a large amount of food, but did not eat anything overly greasy or unhealthy. It was no wonder that she had managed to get her body back into shape so quickly.

A lot of women, when they had children, continued in their habit of over-eating comfort food in a fit of post-natal depression. But his wife was not that sort of woman. No, she was a determined little thing, and she had made a comeback and continued to be able to provide for their two children. It was as though being a mother came naturally to her. But she was a natural at almost everything she had ever tried, whether it was potions or simply organizing an event.

Pride surged through him at having such a woman at his side. Hermione was on in a million, and he counted himself lucky to have her.

'Why are you looking at me like that?' she asked, snapping him out of his musing for the second time that day.

'I was just making note of what you were eating,' he offered.

She smiled and shrugged, not bothering to question him further. She was too preoccupied with eating her lunch to worry about whether that was the truth or not. Either way, she assumed it was not really so important. After lunch, Hermione kissed him on the cheek and went back down to the dungeons to prepare some ingredients for her next class. Severus returned to his office and thanked Dobby for watching the twins, looking into the cot to see that they were both still sleeping soundly, full from their lunch.

He sent the armchairs back to their original positions in the room before seating himself at his desk and waving a hand to open the curtains that covered the paintings. He spun around in his chair to look up at the portrait of Dumbledore only to find the old man looking down at him with a knowing smile on his face, his damnable blue eyes twinkling even in their oil painted state.

'Go on, old man. Have your gloat,' Severus said with a heavy sigh.

Albus smiled down at him. 'Why Severus, I don't know what you mean,' he said with a chuckle. 'It is just so good to see you looking so well and happy.'

Severus paused to think of a witty retort, but came up empty handed. 'Thank you, Albus,' he said simply, looking over to the corner where his children slumbered. 'This family means the world to me.'

'And so they should,' the old man said. 'Take care of all the precious things that you have found, my boy.'

'I will, Albus,' Severus replied. 'I will.'

* * *

A/N – Yes, it has been a long time since my last update, but real life just keeps getting in the way. I've finally found my muse hiding at the bottom of my coffee cup this morning, and hopefully it will keep popping up enabling me to continue this story.


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